


Valentines and Roses

by merentha13



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 03:25:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merentha13/pseuds/merentha13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day for CI5</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentines and Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone at CI5HQ Beta Central for their input! Special thanks to Moonlightmead, Maddalia and Firlefanzine.

_“Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed,  
Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed…  
Some say it is a hunger, an endless aching need…_

 

Valentine’s Day. What a ridiculous idea. Oh, the sentiment’s alright, but do we really need a day to advertise that we’re alone? Maybe I’m overly sensitive because I’m a woman. I can hear Bodie now, _“Don’t look so glum, Susan, can’t be as bad as all that!”_

Don’t mind me. It’s been a hell of a week. We’re just coming off a really knotty op that left two of CI5’s finest injured, four civilians homeless and a gang of villains behind bars. Cowley stood us all down and sent us here, to the Red Lion, to unwind. He’s supposed to be around soon to buy the first round.

The pub has a singer this evening, probably in honour of Valentine’s Day. She’s good, but she’s not singing my favourite songs. There’s way too much romantic drivel. I shouldn’t be surprised considering the date, right? Would it be different if I had someone of my own? Looking around the table at the other agents, I wonder what they think about the chances of love for anyone on the “A” Squad. Murphy, Charlie, Anson, McCabe, Ruth, Jax – well he’s a case of his own, seems to have found his true love. And then there’s Bodie and Doyle. What do they expect from love? Who do they need? 

Bodie seems happy enough with the way things are. The man has no trouble dancing his way through the female population of London. I think he’s afraid of making a commitment. It’s not surprising. The whole experience with Marikka left him raw and bloody. Everyone on the squad could see that. It even broke up the partnership with Doyle for a short time. Love is a curious thing; it can pull two people together, or tear them apart.

Speaking of Doyle – he believes in the whole romantic notion of the day. Idealism dies hard. He clearly wants to be what he calls “normal”, to have the wife and the 2.4 kids and the dog. But normal and the “A” Squad don’t go together. He took a chance on the dream with Ann. He was badly hurt when she left him. You can see now that he realises it wouldn’t have worked, no matter how much they’d wanted it to. He hasn’t given anyone else a chance to get that close to him since. Except--

A commotion at the door drags everyone’s attention to the two men tumbling into the pub. Speak of the devil! Bodie comes through the door first, the bruises on his cheek and forehead not detracting one bit from his rugged good looks. He has a huge bunch of red roses wrapped up in his arms. Doyle follows, the hand not in plaster resting on Bodie’s arse as he pushes him into the pub. Always touching, those two, especially Bodie. And they’re closer than any other partnership on the squad. The way they look at each other sometimes…could they be? No, not those two macho action men.

Bodie wanders around the pub bestowing roses, cheeky grins and an occasional kiss; he leaves laughter and rose petals in his wake. Ray follows after him, smiling indulgently. Professional to the end, CI5 training never leaving him, he glances surreptitiously around the room, but his eyes always, unerringly return to Bodie. 

Maybe… _nah!_

They finally reach the CI5 table. Bodie drops a deep bow in front of me and hands me the last of his roses.

“Saved the best for last, Suze,” he smiles and kisses my cheek. 

“The kiss or the rose?” I ask, returning his child-like grin.

Off duty, Bodie can be a real clown. He cocks his eyebrow suggestively at me. “Wanna find out?”

“Oi! My turn!” Doyle tries to push Bodie out of the way.

“Now that’s no way to approach a lady, mate,” Bodie admonishes. “No wonder you’re on your own on Valentine’s Day!”

But was he? The thought of them, well, _together_ just seems so right.

“Here, let’s straighten you up,” Bodie pulls Ray around to face him, adjusts his collar and smooths his jacket. Motionless in his partner’s care, Ray’s eyes follow Bodie’s deft hands, one of which grazes Ray’s stubbled jaw. If one was in a romantic mood, it could almost be considered a caress. Ray’s eyes close, as if sharing my thought, and despite where he is he lets himself enjoy the fleeting touch. Bodie leans in close, whispering something very quietly in Ray’s ear and Ray’s face breaks out into one of his rare smiles; the smile that lights his whole face, illuminates the room around him and seems to be saved for Bodie alone. For a moment they _are_ alone; none of the rest of us exists. Then Bodie laughs, bringing them back.

“There. Now you’re presentable,” Bodie declares and points at me. “Go on then, Ray. See if she’ll have you.”

Ray turns around to face me and winks. In his lapel rests a perfect red rose.

Questions answered. They have each other. Don’t need anyone else, do they?

[ ](http://pics.livejournal.com/merentha13/pic/0001tqk4/)

_“When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,  
And you think that love is only, for thr lucky snf the strong.  
Just remember, in the winter, far beneath the winter snow,  
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love, in the spring becomes the rose.”_

“The Rose”- lyrics by Amanda McBroom


End file.
